Newburgh Democrats vie for Ward 4 seat

CITY OF NEWBURGH — Two Democrats born and raised in Newburgh are vying to be their party's nominee to represent the newly drawn 4th Ward on the City Council.

BY MICHAEL RANDALL

CITY OF NEWBURGH — Two Democrats born and raised in Newburgh are vying to be their party's nominee to represent the newly drawn 4th Ward on the City Council.

The ward occupies roughly the geographic center of the city.

The candidates are Patricia Sofokles, a self-employed accountant and tax preparer, and Cindy Holmes, a home tutor for the Newburgh school district.

Sofokles said she's running because "my neighbors call me anyway" when there are problems, and, if elected, it would be her job to address them. Her campaign is focusing on five areas:

Code compliance: Sofokles wants to broaden a recent effort to address the city's abandoned buildings and absentee landlords to put more property on the tax roll. Safety: Increasing the number of police on the street and improving their relations with residents. Jobs: The council and city manager need to work as a team to bring more outside businesses to Newburgh and fill the many empty commercial buildings. More job training for youth. More community involvement, including on the city's many advisory and review boards, which she said the new ward system might encourage.

Holmes said she's running because "we need a healthy community here" on a number of fronts: the economy and the need for jobs; educationally (Holmes said City Hall and the Newburgh school district should be in touch with each other daily); and in its physical condition, among other areas.

Holmes said right now "only the waterfront looks good," but her goal is to make the rest of Newburgh look as good.

The former 17-year IBM employee said manufacturing firms should come to Newburgh so more people who live in the city can also work in the city, but right now there are too many abandoned houses and that's going to discourage those outside the city from locating here.

She plans to stay in touch with residents she's met going door to door throughout the ward if elected, saying a council member "can be effective in many different ways if you have a relationship with the people."